Fleming kept his gaze on Trenchard. ‘Yes, he was sure of his facts. He told me that all of the men in the photograph I showed you served in C Company and that there were three platoons. You were one of the platoon commanders. Ronnie Nielson was your sergeant. You also told me you didn’t remember him…’
‘That’s correct. Look–’
‘Beginning to ring any bells now?’
Trenchard took a slow sip of his drink before answering. ‘I was an army officer for twelve years, Chief Inspector. I don’t remember all of the sergeants who served under me, I’m afraid.’
Fleming shrugged. ‘I’m sure, but Afghanistan was your last posting with the army, wasn’t it? Surely you can remember the last sergeant to serve under you? Especially somewhere as memorable as Afghanistan,’ Fleming pressed.
‘Maybe he was only with me a short time. Personnel changed. Sometimes quite quickly, you may appreciate.’ Trenchard looked duly solicitous. ‘I’m sorry you seem to have had another wasted trip. Are you sure I can’t get you something before you go?’ he said with a smile.
Fleming noted the hint that it was time for him to leave, but he wasn’t ready yet. ‘Eddie Slater, one of the other men in the photograph, served under Bonner. He was one of Nielson’s best friends apparently–’
‘Chief Inspector, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not sure where you’re going with this and I do need to get on with my speech.’
‘He told Bonner that Nielson didn’t see eye to eye with you…’ Fleming persisted.
‘This is childish tittle-tattle. I’m sure there were many men who didn’t like me. My job was to manage and lead, not make friends.’
‘Yes, I get that, only–’
‘Chief Inspector, may I be frank with you and save you beating about the bush. For some reason you seem to be trying to establish that I knew this chap Nielson well. Let me reassure you that I did not. And, for the record, I had a meeting with Leo Miller in London on the night that Nielson was killed.’
Fleming was taken aback by Trenchard’s sudden outburst. ‘I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t give the impression that I was treating you as a suspect. I was merely trying to get some background on whether Nielson was a particularly volatile character.’ He rose to leave. ‘I’m sorry to have troubled you again. Thank you for your time.’
Trenchard got out of his chair smiling and offered a hand to Fleming. ‘Not at all, my dear chap. Not at all. Helen will see you out.’
‘Thank you. Sorry once again to bother you. Good luck with the speech, by the way, and the leadership election.’
Charles Trenchard waited for Fleming to leave and picked up his mobile. He needed to get Chief Inspector Fleming off his back. The last thing Trenchard needed was the press looking for a story with him involved in a police investigation.
Later that evening, Fleming phoned Logan. ‘Can you check with Leo Miller’s secretary to see if he had a meeting with Charles Trenchard on the night of Ronnie Nielson’s murder?’
‘Oh, shit, boss. Please don’t tell me you’ve been to see Trenchard.’
‘Don’t worry. No one will know. It was just an informal chat to clear a few things up. Check, but don’t let Watson or Temple know. Okay?’
‘Bloody hell, boss, that makes him the fifth suspect, that is if you want to include Watson.’
‘Watson?’
‘Just saying.’
Fleming shook his head and ignored what Logan had said.
62
‘What if DCI Watson asks where you are?’ Anderson asked Logan.
‘Tell him I’ve gone to check on the surveillance on Rainer and, if I’ve got enough time, see if I can get any leads from staff at Nielson’s club on where Potts might have disappeared to.’
Anderson raised her eyebrows. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, Sarge.’
‘Don’t worry.’ Logan pulled his jacket off the back of his chair and made for the door. ‘See you later,’ he called over his shoulder.
Logan headed for Oxford, took the A34 south, then headed east on the M4 towards Reading. He was worried about Fleming. First, there was the Calder business. He had left himself wide open by going to Edinburgh, and now he was suspended pending enquiries into the assault. To make matters worse, Calder was still in intensive care after suffering another heart attack. Fleming had told Logan he thought Bill Watson was behind the assault. Why would he do that? Then Fleming had gone to see Charles Trenchard while suspended. Things didn’t look good.
Logan put his thoughts to one side as he wove through the streets of Reading towards the police station. He parked the car and made his way to the reception desk where he told the duty sergeant he was there to see DS Crowe.
Five minutes later, Crowe was showing him into the CID office where DC Valdez was staring into a computer screen.
‘Budget doesn’t run to tea and biscuits for meetings with police staff, I’m afraid,’ Crowe told him. ‘There’s a vending machine over there if you want a drink.’ He pointed across the office.
Logan wasn’t that desperate. ‘I’ll give that a miss, I think.’
‘You wanted to talk about Jimmy Calder, said something on the phone about his assault maybe being linked to a case you’re working on. What case is that?’
Logan decided that total openness was the best way to get Crowe’s co-operation. ‘A murder. A guy called Ronnie Nielson. Owned a club in London. He was found dead on his boat near Bourne End Marina.’
Crowe nodded. ‘Yeah, I heard about that. What’s the connection?’
Logan rubbed his chin. ‘We’re not certain there is one, but we think it’s possible one of the suspects may have tried to set DCI Fleming up to get him off the case. A guy called Potts. Incidentally, he’s gone missing.’
Crowe frowned. ‘And you think Potts arranged the assault on Calder and got the assailants to tell him that DCI Fleming had sent them?’
‘That’s about it.’
‘I don’t get it,’ Crowe said, shaking his head. ‘For one thing, how would Potts have known about Jimmy Calder? Secondly, what would be the point of getting Fleming suspended? Potts would still be a suspect in the Nielson case, wouldn’t he?’
Logan was about to answer, but Crowe continued. ‘And I have to say, there’s some pretty damning evidence against Fleming. He knew Calder was out of prison. He went to Edinburgh looking for him, and he suddenly took ill over the weekend when Calder was assaulted.’
‘You make it sound convincing. We don’t know how Potts could have known about Calder. That’s anyone’s guess. I take your second point, but Potts isn’t exactly the brightest gem in the box, and he’s a man who bears grudges. As to the evidence against DCI Fleming, have you found anything on his phone or computer to link him to the assailants?’
‘No, we haven’t.’
‘So there you are. There’s no hard evidence. Just the word of a man who’s a known criminal.’
Crowe nodded slowly. ‘What we have so far is CCTV footage from the bar at the club where Calder was working and of a van passing outside around the time he left. The same van appears later at the Royal Berkshire Hospital where his body was thrown out.’
‘You’ve traced the owner of the van?’
‘Afraid not. They were using fake number plates.’
‘Are there any other leads you’re following?’
‘A barman at the club saw Calder talking to two men. They bought him a drink and were seen leaving at the same time as Calder. The barman reckons he’d never seen them there before.’ He motioned towards Valdez. ‘Come and have a look at this.’
Logan followed Crowe across the room to where Valdez was sitting at his computer. He watched as Valdez flashed the cursor across the screen and clicked on files rapidly. Suddenly, the CCTV footage appeared with the black van passing the club. Then, after a few more clicks, the same van appeared dumping a body in front of the hospital before driving off at speed.
‘What about the men at the bar?’ Logan asked.
; Crowe nodded at Valdez. ‘Show him.’
The cursor flashed quickly round the screen again. Two clicks of the mouse and the bar sprang onto the screen. Crowe pointed out the two men the barman had told him about, but their backs were to the camera. Then one of the men turned and gazed around the club floor.
‘Freeze it there!’ Logan exclaimed.
‘Recognise him?’ Crowe asked hopefully.
‘Yes,’ Logan confirmed. ‘A guy called Tommy Tyler. He drives an Audi for Scottie McBain, the manager of Nielson’s club.’
Liz Temple slammed her phone down after the chief constable had rung off. She cursed and wondered how far Fleming was going to test her patience. Charles Trenchard had lodged a complaint against Fleming with the chief constable. He’d claimed that Fleming was harassing him. Upson wanted blood.
63
Word had spread round the MCU that Temple had sent for Fleming. He received a few awkward glances as he made his way to her office.
He knocked on the door and waited.
There was an edge in Temple’s voice. ‘Yes!’
Fleming entered uneasily and saw the stern look.
‘Close the door,’ Temple said curtly, looking up from the file on her desk. ‘Sit down, Alex.’
Fleming sat on the chair placed in front of Temple’s desk.
She glared at him, face still stony. ‘I gather you’ve decided you do not want to be accompanied by a police friend at this meeting. Is that correct?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Temple leaned forwards and folded her arms over her desk. ‘I take it I don’t need to remind you of the seriousness of your position.’
‘No, ma’am.’
‘You know why I’ve sent for you?’
‘I think I can guess.’
Temple glowered at Fleming. ‘Despite being under suspension, and despite me giving you explicit instructions not to, you went to see Charles Trenchard again.’
Fleming shifted uncomfortably in his chair and remained silent.
Temple sighed. ‘The chief constable hauled me over the coals. He’d had a call from Trenchard who’s made a formal complaint against you. He claims you’re harassing him. Upson is livid.’
‘Sorry,’ was all Fleming could think of saying.
‘Sorry! You bet your arse you will be!’ Temple exploded. ‘It’s bad enough disobeying orders, but to carry on with an investigation while suspended is bloody irresponsible!’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Christ, Alex, is that all you can say? What on earth possessed you?’
‘There was something about Trenchard when I first spoke to him. I was sure he was being evasive. Then I found out that he’d lied to me about knowing Ronnie Nielson–’
‘You told me that, and I said it wasn’t unreasonable for someone to forget a name, did I not?’
‘You did, yes.’
‘And I told you not to see him again. Is that correct?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Temple placed her hands on the edge of her desk. ‘I’m afraid you’ve gone too far this time, Alex. Upson has asked me to instigate misconduct proceedings against you for breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour. This is in relation to the accusations made against you regarding Jimmy Calder, for disobeying a direct order while under suspension, and due to the complaint of harassment made against you by Charles Trenchard. There will be a disciplinary hearing following a full enquiry into the circumstances. You will get confirmation of this in writing. Do you understand?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Christ, Alex, at best you could be demoted to constable and put in uniform back on the beat. You could even face dismissal, depending on the outcome of the enquiry. What were you thinking of?’
Fleming shrugged. ‘I had nothing to do with Calder’s assault. I was set up. And I went to see Trenchard because I believed it to be necessary. I knew no one else would. I’m sure my name will be cleared on the Calder business and that my actions regarding Charles Trenchard will be justified.’
‘If you were set up over Calder, as you claim, you’re going to have to be able to prove it. And I don’t see how your actions relating to Trenchard will be vindicated. You messed up big time. Your judgement is questionable, to say the least.’
Fleming said nothing.
Temple looked down at the file she’d been reading when Fleming arrived. ‘That’s all, DCI Fleming. Close the door behind you,’ she said without looking up again.
Fleming left.
He didn’t bother to call in on Logan and Anderson on his way out. He noted that Temple had reverted to calling him by rank and surname rather than Alex.
As he drove home, he could see the end of his short career in the MCU looming fast.
64
The atmosphere in interview room two was tense. It was hot and stuffy. Sweat had broken out on Tommy Tyler’s forehead. A solicitor sat grimly beside him. On the other side of the table, DS Crowe was looking at a note the duty sergeant had just passed to him. Logan was there looking across the table at Tyler. Logan had asked if he could be present.
Tyler was worried. Crowe had arrested him in connection with the assault on Calder. But he wondered if he knew anything about Potts. Surely not, he thought. It had only been two days since he and McBain had tossed him into the Thames. And there hadn’t been anything on the news to say a body had been found. No, he assured himself, this was just to do with the Calder guy.
Crowe pressed the record button. ‘Interview recommenced at eleven a.m.’ He slipped the note under the folder in front of him. ‘Mr Tyler, you said you didn’t know Jimmy Calder and had never been to the Lyons Den nightclub in Reading.’
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ Tyler spat.
‘Where were you on the night of the tenth of July?’
Tyler sneered. ‘At Nielson’s Cellar in London.’
‘Can anyone vouch for you?’
‘Yeah, sure. The boss, Scottie McBain. He was at the club.’
Crowe took a photograph from the folder in front of him. He slid it across the table for Tyler to see. ‘For the purposes of the tape, I’m presenting Mr Tyler with photograph reference P671007X. This is a still taken from CCTV footage at the Lyons Den nightclub on the night of tenth of July. The night that Jimmy Calder was assaulted. Do you recognise this man?’
Tyler glanced at his solicitor who simply nodded. ‘It’s me,’ Tyler admitted resignedly.
‘So why did you lie and claim you’d never been there?’ Crowe pressed.
‘All right, I was there, but I don’t know nothing about this guy Calder, honest. I lied because I didn’t know you had photos and didn’t want to get mixed up in something I didn’t do.’
Crowe took the photograph back and slipped it into the folder.
Tyler’s eyes shot shiftily from Crowe to Logan and back to Crowe. Tyler licked his lips nervously.
‘You still claim you didn’t know Calder, or of him?’ Crowe asked.
‘No, I didn’t!’ Tyler burst out.
‘So why buy a man a drink you didn’t know?’
‘I didn’t!’
‘Come on, Tommy. We have a witness. The barman remembers seeing you buying him a drink,’ Crowe persisted.
‘I had nothing to do with this! I felt sorry for the man, that’s all. He was working hard clearing glasses.’ More confident, he added with a smirk, ‘Too generous by half, that’s me.’
Crowe changed tack. ‘Who was the man with you at the bar?’
Tyler’s eyes averted Crowe’s steady gaze. He stared at the wall then slouched back in his chair and stretched. ‘Haven’t got a clue, he sat beside me. Never seen him before.’
‘Barman says the two of you were deep in conversation. Do you normally start up conversations with complete strangers?’
Tyler sneered at Crowe. ‘I’m friendly as well as generous.’
Crowe glared at Tyler. ‘The barman says you and your stranger friend left the club at the same time just behind Calder
. Shortly after that, CCTV footage outside the club picked up a black van crawling by.’
‘So?’
Crowe continued. ‘The same van was picked up again, speeding away from the Royal Berkshire Hospital after dumping Calder’s body outside.’
Tyler shrugged. ‘Don’t remember seeing a black van.’
‘How did you get the cut on your face?’ Crowe asked.
‘Bit of an accident at the club. Some guy was drunk and lunged at me with a glass. It’s nothing.’
‘Did you report it?’
‘Hell no. He was drunk… didn’t know what he was doing. As I said, it was nothing.’
Crowe scowled at Tyler and drew the note out he’d placed under his folder. He looked hard at it then glanced sharply up at Tyler. ‘Okay, Tommy, here’s the thing. We have enough to charge you with assault, but I’ve been told that Jimmy Calder has taken a turn for the worse. The charge becomes a murder charge. You could be heading for life inside unless you co-operate and start talking.’
The blood had drained from Tyler’s face, sweat running freely down his forehead. He looked pleadingly at his solicitor.
‘It’s best to tell the truth now,’ the solicitor said. ‘They might be more lenient on you if you do. Isn’t that right, DS Crowe?’
Crowe shrugged. ‘A judge will always take into consideration the extent to which someone helps the police with their enquiries.’
Tyler slumped across the table and sobbed.
Crowe looked toward the recorder. ‘For the purposes of the tape, the suspect is crying.’
Tyler looked up and wiped his eyes. ‘I only had to follow him out of the club and help get him in the back of the van,’ he whispered.
‘Can you speak up for the tape,’ Crowe prompted.
‘I was only to follow him out of the club and help get him in the back of the van!’ Tyler shouted.
The Fifth Suspect Page 23